Ground-and-Aerial Article Transport for Shorter Routes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional article transport facilities require extensive space for processing devices and storage sections along the travel route, leading to increased equipment costs and prolonged wait times for article processing.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a transport vehicle that travels along a predetermined route and an unmanned aerial vehicle to perform article transport between storage and transfer sections, allowing processing devices and transfer sections to be positioned separately from the travel route, reducing installation costs and enabling quick article transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If processing devices and storage sections are arranged along the travel route of the transport vehicle, then article transfer is simplified, but the length of the travel route increases and equipment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
An unmanned aerial vehicle is introduced as an intermediary transport means to carry articles between the storage section and transfer section. This mediator resolves the contradiction by enabling article transfer without requiring the processing devices to be positioned along the transport vehicle's route, thus shortening the route length while maintaining transfer capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from ground-based transport only to include aerial transport dimension. The unmanned aerial vehicle operates in the air space above the facility, creating a three-dimensional transport system that bypasses the constraint of linear route arrangement and allows flexible positioning of processing devices.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the transport vehicle serves multiple roles including transferring articles to and from processing devices and storage sections, then comprehensive transport coverage is achieved, but wait time for article processing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transport function is segmented into two specialized systems: the transport vehicle handles macro-scale article movement between major facilities, while the unmanned aerial vehicle handles micro-scale rapid transfer between storage and processing sections. This segmentation allows each system to optimize for its specific function, reducing wait times for critical article transfers.
Solution Approach 2:
Articles are pre-positioned in storage sections near processing devices using the unmanned aerial vehicle's rapid transfer capability. This preliminary positioning ensures that when processing is needed, articles are already in proximity and can be quickly transferred, minimizing wait time while the transport vehicle continues its scheduled operations.
Data Source
AI summary
An article transport facility of the present invention includes: a transport vehicle that travels along a predetermined travel route and transports articles; an unmanned aerial vehicle that flies along a route and transports articles; a transfer section provided in correspondence with a processing device that processes articles, and to and from which articles that are processing targets of the processing device are transferred; and a storage section that is arranged at a location along the travel route and stores articles. The transport vehicle carries in articles to the storage section and carries out articles from the storage section, and the unmanned aerial vehicle transports articles between the storage section and the transfer section.